


Grandfather's Collection

by Lwoorl



Series: DC Shifters AU [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Gen, Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Scars, Transformation, Unreliable Narrator, shifters au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 22:14:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16752451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lwoorl/pseuds/Lwoorl
Summary: A funny cute little story from Damian's childhood: The first time he pets a cat!Shifters AU: Some people can turn into objects.While I've said this series can be read in any order, for this specific fanfic I highly recommend you read literally any other part before reading this one.





	Grandfather's Collection

**Author's Note:**

> I'm updating too fast. I'm spoiling you guys. What are we all gonna do when I go back to my usual one fic every 6 months? Tsk tsk tsk
> 
> Ok, I know I said I was working on a fluffy fanfic, and I am! But this idea just popped in my mind and I had to write it down. I mean, I GUESS this has some fluff?? In a way??? It certainly isn't what I would classify as angst at least....  
> Anyway, enjoy!

There's one rule for him to be around Grandfather's swords. Damian can touch them, practice or play with them, it probably would be ok even if he broke one, not that he's ever done that. But no sword must be ever left alone out of its sheath.

It's a weird rule, but when he asks the reason everyone just tells him they're very special and he will understand when he's older, with that smile that just says “This cute ignorant child that doesn't know why the sky is blue, it's so funny keeping him in the dark”.

When he's older, sure, when he's older? Please, he's five! He's basically an adult!

But he follows the rule anyway, the same way he follows all the other rules his mother gives him. He does all his homework, eats all his food, listens to his teachers, only plays when it's his free time and kills when he's asked to.

He's very proud to say: He's only been punished for misbehaving three times in his whole life, and the scars are almost unnoticeable now!

Damian likes Grandfather's swords, they're different from his. They're warm! And sharper than any other sword he's seen, not only that but the blade never gets dull!

When he was younger (one year ago) he used to think someone left them under the desert sun for hours everyday, and that's why they weren't cold like any other metal, but now he knows that idea is stupid.

His favorite one is the new sword, the one Grandfather got barely four months ago. It's a Jian, the kind made for using with one hand. When it first appeared with the other ones it only had decorations on the handle, but one week ago Grandfather took it, and when he returned it to the collection it had a long, beautiful engrave on the blade, Damian likes it, it's pretty.

But the reason it's his favorite sword is the way it beats. All the other swords on the collection do it too, of course, just another mystery on what they're made of, but this one's special.

All the other ones, the old ones that Grandfather's had for decades, those are always constant, their pulse never changes, like a metronome, slow and steady, but this one _changes_.

It gets faster when he uses it to cut things or he hits it against stuff, and slower when he's just holding it. It presses against his palms on different rhythms, like a song or a poem. It's fun!

He's using that sword today, practicing a new movement one of his teachers showed him this morning. It's… Not really the best sword for this specific technique, but it's _fun_ to use. How is he supposed to use anything else after he discovered a sword like this one?!

When he practices with these swords, Damian truly can understand why Grandfather never uses any other normal weapon. He hopes when he grows up and learns how these are made he will be able to have his own collection. Really, he can't understand why his mom refuses to have her own special warm blades. They're great!

He gets distracted when he hears a low meow. He looks up, there's a cat on the window. Brown, with a patch of white on the face. The cat jumps from where it is and actually lands inside the room.

Damian's seen cats before, but they're always outside, standing on the windows at best, too weary to get in, even when he tries to bribe them with food.

He's… He's always wanted to pet one _so_ badly.

He leaves the sword fall to the ground and in his excitement runs towards the cat. Too quickly, it seems. The animal takes out its claws and recoils.

Right, he can't just go and touch it. He needs to make it come to him!

Damian sits down and looks at the cat. He wants it to know he isn't dangerous, so he puts both hands at his sides, showing he isn't armed. Not that he couldn't kill a grown man with his bare hands, but the cat doesn't know that.

“Shhhh… Shhhh.” He whispers. The cat doesn't move. Maybe he could try meowing?

He's about to do that when the feline finally makes its move. Damian stays still as it comes closer, closer, _closer!-..._ Aaaand walks right past him. Sure, why not?

He frowns as he looks how the cat completely ignores him. But it's ok, he tells himself, he will get to pet it- him, he sees now, he will get to pet him eventually.

The cat approaches to the sword on the floor and smells the blade, his nose centimeters from it. Damian stands up immediately. “Don't do that, you could get cut!” He advances to get him away from the sword but the cat jumps away.

The cat hisses and runs away, out of the room. “Wait!”

Damian runs after him, but the animal is faster and it only takes two hallways for Damian to lose him. He sighs. Maybe he will see him later? He just hopes the cat doesn't get into any trouble.

Defeated, he walks back into the room with the swords, ready to throw himself into more practice, but…

The sword isn't there. The sheath is right where he left it, but the sword isn't there.

Oh God they're going to be so mad at him.

He takes a deep breath. It's ok, he just needs to find it before they see it's gone.

Maybe someone took it, that would make sense, of course someone would want to get their hands on one of Grandfather's swords. They waited for him to be distracted and then took it!

If that's the case the perpetrator can't be far away! He moves quickly, examining each room he passes by, hallway after hallway. It must be somewhere.

But then he hears a familiar meow and he stops immediately.

The cat's close. He should ignore it but… When is he going to be so close to a cat again?!

He follows the sound, does two twists on the hallway and... And is face to face with a naked woman.

His first instinct is to avert his gaze, but it only takes him a second to realize it's a stupid choice. No servant would ever be seen in that state in the middle of a hallway, it's an extranger, could be an enemy, he can't just look away.

He takes one of the knives he always carries under his clothes and looks at the woman, ready to attack if she does anything suspicious.

Now that he sees her, he can see she probably won't be a threat.

She's young, probably not older than twenty. Her skin and eyes give away she's native from this region. She stands there, looking at him with big round eyes, her posture is atrocious, she has no defense whatsoever, and half of her body is covered in marks, scars and burns mixed together, engulfing her from head to toe, she's missing an eye.

He gets ready to attack, whoever this is she isn't authorized here. This is a… Very weird intruder, but he won't be fooled by her pitiful appearance. He prepares to strike when-

The cat from before, he appears from behind her, walking between her legs. The woman snaps out of her trance. She bends down and picks up the animal before taking a step back, holding him in her hands in a protective stance, even though moving like that with her wounds should really hurt.

Damian lowers the knife a little.

“Do you… Know that cat?” He asks.

The woman squints at him, licks her lips, and only then answers. “It's… It's my cat. He mu- must've followed me here.” She says, with a rough, dry voice, and then breaks on a coughing fist.

Damian lowers the knife all the way, lets his hand rest at his side.

The cat isn't jumping from her arms, isn't even struggling to get out, and she just moved to protect him. She's telling the true, she's the owner.

Damian can't just kill her in front of her cat!

He hides the knife back under his clothes. Whatever. He's busy anyway, he should be looking for a sword, not killing a stranger. He will just act as if he didn't see her.

“Have you seen a sword around here?” He asks, it doesn't hurt to ask. “It's this long.” He extends his arm, showing her the length. “The handle is red, the blade is engraved. It's really pretty. Have you seen it?”

The woman looks at him.

“Have you seen it?!”

She just keeps staring, until the cat licks her face and she jumps. Then she takes a step closer and mutters something, Damian can't hear her.

“Speak louder!”

She startles and the cat jumps from her arms, but doesn't run away. The woman opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before just saying “You didn't know?”

“What?”

“You… I thought. But.” She covers her mouth with one hand and keeps muttering nonsenses “God, you don't know.”

“What are you talking about?!” Damian snaps. He doesn't know? He doesn't know what?! He just asked if she's seen the sword!

She seems to react at his outburst, at least. The woman retires the hand from his face and looks at him for a long moment, like debating something with herself.

“You… You don't know that I'm a guest. Of course” She says, slowly, carefully forming every word, her shoulders are shaking, but she doesn't look that afraid anymore. She doesn't look like someone who knows is going to die, but like someone who will try not to. “I… I'm a guest, yes, I come from one of the towns nearby, I- I'm sorry but I haven't seen any sword.” Her voice breaks on the last word.

“You are no guest, you're naked!” Damian accuses, his hand itches towards the knife.

“It's tradition!” She blurts out. “To- To lower ourselves in the house of the dragon head, of course. To- To show- To show we're nothing but animals in his presence.”

“That sounds like a lie.”

“I…” She looks at him, thinks what to say, then looks down and picks the cat once more, slower this time. “Do you want to pet him?!” She offers, extending the cat towards Damian.

“I- Can I?! I mean no, I don't-!” The cat looks at him. He's so so so close, he could just extend one hand but.

It has to be a trap, she's so obviously avoiding to talk about what she's doing here

But it looks so fluffy and he's looking right at him

He can't trust a complete stranger, who knows what she's planning

But but _it's extending his paw towards him_

He can't lower his guard just because an animal, he's the son of the demon, a proud warrior who-

A proud warrior who pets the cat.

It's just as fluffy as he imagined. Damian scratches him under one ear and it _leans into his touch_.

“You can hold him if you want to.” The girl prods.

He shouldn't, he really really shouldn't, she's trying to get him to have both hands occupied so he can't react as effectively, he shouldn't even be here, he should be looking around for the sword, or murdering her, and instead he's petting a cat.

He really shouldn't.

He _really_ shouldn't.

But but but but but but but but _kitten!_

He holds him. He's so big, or maybe Damian's small, and he's so soft and warm, Damian pets his back and the cat accommodates inside his arms and oh God he's so nice to hold

“He likes you.” The girl says. Damian nods.

“I like him too.” He mutters, oh God this is the _best_ day of his life. “What's his name?” He asks, looking at the girl. She smiles.

“Alsharir.”

“What?! But he's so nice!” He exclaims, 'The wicked one'? what kind of name is that for a pet?! He's _such_ a good pet.

“He is, he is really nice.” She agrees, moving her hand and scratching Alsharir's chin and he starts to _purr._

Damian nods “Good cat.” He mutters, copying the way she made him purr just now.

“Listen, kid.” The woman says, and Damian's attention goes back to her face. “Alsharir and I were just leaving, but we got lost, can you tell me in which way is the exit?”

Damian frowns and his muscles tense. Of course this woman isn't a guest, does she really think he's going to fall for such an excuse- Alsharir hisses when Damian squeezes him too tight. He quickly releases the pressure and pets him. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.” He mutters to the cat. He's worried he's going to jump out of his arms, but the cat just squirms a little and gets comfortable again against Damian's chest. _He's such a good pet_

“So, the exit.” The woman asks again, her face is now so, so close to his and Damian has to catch himself before taking a step back. “I'm sure Alsharir would appreciate if you told me.”

He can't tell her. She's so obviously not who she says she is. Oh God she's so close now. Damian looks at the northern hallway, just a second, a quick glance. It shouldn't be enough for her to tell but. But she smiles and takes the cat from his arms.

“Thank you. Thank you for your help.” She says.

“I didn't-”

“It's ok.” She says, putting a hand on his shoulder as she starts to walk towards the hallway. “Shouldn't you- shouldn't you be looking for a sword?” Her smile breaks at that, just a second, and then it's back up again.

“I-...” Yes, he should be looking for the sword but “If- If anyone sees you I didn't see you, ok? Or they will be mad at me!” He exclaims as the woman walks away. She takes a moment to turn towards him and wink with her one good eye. Then holds Alsharir's pawn and makes him wave at him. Oh God he's such a good cat. Damian waves back until both of them disappear from his sight.

Alright

But there's no time for this. The weird woman's right. Damian's lost too much time with this already, he really should be looking for that sword.

 

At the end Damian can't know what happened to the woman and Alsharir, but since he never sees them- or their corpses again, they probably found the exit. He also never finds the sword, and his mom gets mad at him.

Four times. Damian can proudly say he's only been punished for misbehaving four times in his life.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please remember I get my vital force from the comments, if you don't leave any I will die and it will be your fault. That's murder guys, don't do murder. Comment my things please I'm begging you please don't let me die 
> 
>  
> 
> Also friendly reminder I accept prompts and asks for this au in [my Tumblr](http://lwoorl.tumblr.com), just sayin


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